Cellular respiration primarily produces which energy-rich molecule?

Cellular respiration is primarily focused on the conversion of biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which serves as the main energy currency for cells. During this metabolic process, glucose and other organic molecules are broken down, releasing energy that is then captured in the form of ATP.

While NADH does play a critical role in cellular respiration by carrying electrons to the electron transport chain, it is not directly used by the cell for energy but rather assists in the production of ATP. Glucose is the substrate that gets converted during cellular respiration rather than the end product, and oxygen, while crucial for aerobic respiration as a final electron acceptor, is not an energy-rich molecule produced by the process.

The primary goal of cellular respiration is to generate ATP, which cells use to power various biological functions, making it the most significant energy-rich molecule produced during this process.